


One Tuesday Morning

by Chibifukurou



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Gen, epidemic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 22:38:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2205612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibifukurou/pseuds/Chibifukurou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville had found the first spot of the green creeping mould on his back the day after his parents' funeral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Tuesday Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bliumchik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bliumchik/gifts).



> I took the idea for the mould from an episode of Mushi-shi (The Pillow Pathway). I highly recommend the show, but anyway. The reason I wanted to use mould is that it seemed like a really aggressive mould would be a likely side-effect of failed climate change. Given that mould spores are basically everywhere. Cast a spell to increase plant growth in order to help clear up carbon emissions, and you'd also be likely to supercharge mould growth. Add damp English weather and a mould type that has adapted to co-exist with a Magical community [See diseases that have adapted to effect wizards but not muggles by using their magic and differing biology to survive] and hello world ending mould problem. 
> 
> A Huge thank you to Briel_morrigan for betaing this and OTPseverywhere for offering to beta it. Any remaining problems are due to my edits.

Luna shows up at Neville's flat on a Tuesday. He lived in a bed-sit in the center of London, and didn't think anyone from the Wizarding world knew how to find him. Well, what was left of the Wizarding world anyway.

Most of the English Wizarding community was scattered through Muggle portions of the country. They were hoping to survive the Modulus-Magica as long as they avoid contact with infected Wizards. The magic eating mould had already decimated St. Mungo's, The Ministry, and Hogwarts when Neville left the Wizarding world.

Neville had found the first spot of the green creeping mould on his back the day after his parents' funeral. They'd died when the mould had taken over St. Mungo's. Gran had died a few days later. By that point there weren't any medi-wizards to come take care of her body.  So Neville used his own magic to dig a grave next to his parents, and levitate her body into it. Then he packed up everything he owned and left for Muggle London. He only stopped to send an owl telling his friends that he just needed some time. He hoped nobody would come after him and get infected as well.

That plan seems to have failed. Luna doesn't look like she is planning to leave and Neville can't keep hiding inside his flat and watching her through the peep hole in his door. Neville glances down at the bandaged wrapped stub of his right arm. Everything from the elbow down had crumpled away days ago. Leaving only a green covered stump behind. If he lets Luna in, she'll catch it, and he doesn't want that.  "Luna," he calls through the door. "You need to go away. I can't let you in right now."

Luna perks up at the sound of his voice. "Hello Neville, I've come to tell you that the Nargels are taking things again. "

That isn't what Neville expects her to say. He so surprised that he can't come up with a reply. Luna hasn't talked about NARGELS since school. Back when they kept taking things from her. He's still not sure if the fairies actually exist, or it's just her way of dealing with people steeling her things. Maybe that's a good way to reply. "What did they take this time?"

Luna holds up her hand so that he can see that her pinky and ring finger are missing. A suspiciously green stain covering most of her hand.

Well, Neville guesses that explains why she came to find him. He unlocks the door and holds IT open for Luna. She's dressed in her usual fashion with a pink romper and a white shirt. A necklace of turnips, corks, and bottle caps wraps around her neck.

"When did it start?" He asks motioning to her hand.

She glanced down at it for a second before answering. Wiggling her remaining fingers. "Oh, a few days ago. I thought the Nargels had taken them at first, but I couldn't find any Nargels." She looks up and stares Neville in the eye. "I think the mould got them too."

Neville doesn't know how to reply. He's still not sure if Nargels are even real or she means that the people who usually take her things, have succumbed to the mould as well. "I'm not sure I know how to find Nargels, Luna."

Luna shrugged as if it made no great difference to her. "Well I could still find the Thestrals. And that's more important anyway. She motioned towards the windows of Neville's flat. Dreading what he would see, Neville when to the windows and looked down at the road. There was a Thestral happily munching on the Landlord's carefully manicured bushes. It's whole coat was covered in patches of green. But it didn't seem to be missing any parts. "How?"

Luna came up to stand beside him. She looks down at the Thestral as well. "Hermione says that it is because their magic isn't compatible with the mould. She says that the mould might eventually mu-tate." She carefully pronounces the last word. It's one of the Muggle words that Hermione likes to use. "Until the mould can feed off of magical creatures as well."

That doesn't sound good. "Have they found a way to cure it yet?"

Luna flutters away from the windows and over the galley kitchen at the far side of the room. "I think tea would be good. And you even have a muggle kettle! Hermione has been teaching me how to use it."

Neville's eyes followed her looping path through the apartment as he tries to figure out if he should bring up the possibility of a cure again. She doesn't seem like she wants to talk about it, and he can't blame her. But, he does want to know what Hermione is planning. She's always been the smartest of their classmates. If any of them can figure out what to do, it will be her. Finally he decides on a way to ask about Hermione without bringing up the Modulus-Magica directly. "Are Hermione and Harry still staying at Ron's great-aunt's house to work on a cure?"

Luna nodded. "They've got it wired for Muggle electricity. Hermione and Harry are both able to work around not using magic. It's harder for Ron and Ginny."

And Luna as well, if Neville guessed correctly. Hermione and Harry were both raised by Muggles unlike the rest of them. Though, she seemed to be managing the electric kettle much better than Neville had in the weeks since he moved into this flat. She held out a cup of tea to him and kept the other for herself.

Neville breathed in the steam, cup clutched in his remaining hand. "So avoiding magic use seems to be holding the mould at bay?"

"That and Hermione says being by the sea is better. The salt-water apparently makes it harder for the mould to take hold." She waves her damaged hand in the air. "I didn't start getting this until I came back. So what do you say? Do you want to come back to the shore with me?"

Neville looked around his flat. It was bland. He'd only brought a few things with him from his Gran's manor. The quilt she'd made for I'm when he was a baby, a few of her favorite books, a collection of family photos that waved at him from the table next to the bed. It wasn't a home. He should jump on the chance to go with her. But he's always needed to know he was being useful. Going to hide in a sea-side cottage while the wizarding world crumbled didn't sit right with him, "I don't know Luna. I don't want to distract you all from searching for the cure."

"That's actually why Hermione sent me. She needs somebody with a better understanding of magical plant life. I'm supposed to bring somebody back with me to help."

"And you thought of me?"

Luna shrugged. "I wanted to see you again. We always said we'd try to spend more time together after the final battle."

Which didn't answer why she had thought of him first. "That was years ago, Luna. And there are a lot of other Herbologists who would be more useful to you."

Luna put her tea cup down on the counter, and went over to investigate Neville's photos. "I couldn't find anybody else. I looked for days. Hogsmead is empty. There is barely anyone left alive in Diagon Alley. At least I could find you."

Neville had to sit down. He'd known wizards were dying, but he hadn't been to any of the more populated parts of the wizarding world wince St. Mungo’s. "What about outside of England?"

"They've shut us off. Closed every border with wards. There isn't any getting out and everyone is too afraid of the mould spreading to come in."

"So there isn't anywhere else for you to go." Even with the precautions it wouldn't take long for the mould to spread outside of England. Not when so many of the English Pure-bloods and upper-class had evacuated to other countries across Europe. There only hope to get everyone cured, was if they were able to find a treatment while the infestation was still mostly contained.

"You'll like Shell Cottage. I've been wanting to show it to you since I came back to Hogwarts seventh year."

Neville didn't want to ask what Luna had seen that had made her so unwilling to discuss what was going on. She'd never been good at facing up to the realities of the world. It was sweet that she could still manage at a time like this. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "It sounds lovely. Let me just get my things together and then we can go."

If nothing else, going with her meant that he wouldn't have to die alone.

Fin


End file.
